


Butterball

by AngelicMissPretty



Series: Puppy Love [2]
Category: Borderlands
Genre: Cute dog walks, Fluff, I WROTE MORE BECAUSE WHY NOT, Jack gets really loving idek why, M/M, hot days, puppy au, sfw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 05:45:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6411157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelicMissPretty/pseuds/AngelicMissPretty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Handsome Jack always figured he was more of a ruthless CEO than a caring, loving boyfriend. </p><p>(In which Handsome Jack and his boyfriend go on a semi-romantic walk with their dogs.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Butterball

**Author's Note:**

> I... I wrote more. I don't have any other explanation than a huge thanks to Neko234 for giving me some cute af ideas to work with! ᕦ༼ ˵ ◯ ਊ ◯ ˵ ༽ᕤ
> 
> ❤HUGE❤ shoutout to my friend vel and PitchJack for beta'ing this and fixing some silly mistakes~ much love to you guys! *mwah*
> 
> .... ᕕ(ᐛ)ᕗ I'm not even gonna lie, expect more puppy AU from me.

Jack waltzed through the halls of ground-floor Helios, Cerberus and Orthrus pulling him along quickly as he held onto two separate yellow leaches in one of his hands. He stifled a laugh as one employee threw their hands up and squished themselves against a wall to give him and his Dobermans enough room to take up the full expanse of the corridor, clamping his lips together so he didn’t interrupt Rhys, who was speaking to him through Jack’s earpiece. As Rhys was explaining, he was having a hard time getting his new Golden Retriever puppy to comply to his commands – particularly, putting on a leash so they could go and meet Jack for a walk in the park.

The puppy was only a month or so old, but apparently she was uncontrollably excitable – so much that she couldn’t focus long enough on being obedient. According to Rhys, he’d loved Jack’s _super cute_ Dobermans so much they’d inspired him to buy one of his own.

Jack assured him Cerberus and Orthrus weren’t _super cute_ , but Rhys had decided otherwise.

“’Kay, babe, I’m literally walking out of Helios right now. Park’s only a five-minute drive away.” Jack spoke, pressing his free hand against his earpiece out of habit. He could hear Rhys fumbling around on the other end of the line; he was probably trying to catch his new and very over-active addition to the family. Rhys stammered his reply in-between knocking over bits of furniture as he followed his puppy around on his knees, struggling to multi-task speaking to Jack and attempting to put his pooch’s leash on.

“Yeah, I’ll be there in five too. Uh, hopefully. Weather’s so nice today, I mean, it’d be a shame to let it go to waste. Love y-” The brunette started, before cutting himself off. “Butterball! Just, for once in your life, just put the toy down and keep your collar on!”

Jack let out a sigh, laughing at how much of a big deal Rhys was making it into. He spoke into his earpiece again, rolling his eyes at the adorable stupidity that his dearly dorky boyfriend radiated.

“I told you dogs were hard work.” The CEO deadpanned, in that usual, know-it-all way. Rhys, however, struggling too much to focus on Jack’s words, and kept on using his failing tactic of speaking to Butterball in hopes of her complying.

 “Ugh… look, Butters, I know you love your pulley rope but we’ve got to _go_ , because Jack’s almost there and I’ve promised him I’ll be- fuck!”

Jack heard Rhys’ phone hit the floor with a dull thud, followed by a lot of playful growling from the puppy and panicked noises from Rhys.

“Pumpkin? You good?” Jack tried idly, speaking a little louder than usual as he finally reached Helios’ main entrance, thankful that his Dobermans were big enough to activate the automatic doors themselves. All the CEO got in reply was more muffled panic, so he decided to simply roll his eyes and drop the call for now.

“Butterball, put papa’s phone down right now! N-no, you… oh my god, please don’t chew my phone!”

///

One very short car-ride to the nearby city park later – which Cerberus and Orthrus still managed to make difficult by clambering into the front of the car and fighting over who got to sit on the passenger seat and who would have to move into the back again – Jack sent Rhys a quick text to tell him he was there. As usual, Rhys’ reply came back with three kisses and a heart, even if it did only read _I just got here too_.

Jack looked over to his Dobermans and whistled, prompting the two to look up to him instantly. They stared at him with big, black eyes – identical except for the brown smudge of fur on Orthrus’ left eye –  and Jack rubbed his hands together, as if he was about to give them all a pep talk.

“Okay, so, let’s just get one thing clear. For god’s sake, boys, _don’t_ rip Butterball to shreds. Look, don’t even _go near her_. You’ll probably scare the crap out of that little thing. Seriously, this park is a no-fooling-around zone. Rhys is super attached to her, alright?”

Jack smiled, hopeful that his dogs understood.

Cerberus brought his hind leg up to his ear and scratched it. Orthrus yawned.

“Thing is, I’m super attached to Rhys, got it?”

The dogs blinked and started to look around, much more interested in looking at the park through the half-open car windows than listening to Jack. In frustration, Jack leant down to bang his forehead against the wheel, which snapped Cerberus and Orthrus’ attention back on him again.

“Look, just… get outta the car.” He sighed, opening his own door and stepping out, circling the car to open the passenger door for his dogs. Of course, the Dobermans had already clambered over the steering wheel and pressed the car’s horn twice, all while leaving paw prints over the one non-covered leather seat in the car.

Much to Jack’s amazement, instead of waiting for him as they normally did, Cerberus and Orthrus sped into the direction of the lake that passed through the park, completely forgetting about Jack’s golden rule of _don’t go in the water or you’ll stink up my apartment_. When Jack finally caught up with the two, he found them standing on their hind legs, padding and pawing at Rhys for attention, who was currently coiled up in Butterball’s leash, which had been wrapped around him. Clearly, the puppy had literally been running circles around the poor brunette – and Butterball now sat on the ground next to him, curiously prodding at Orthrus’ leg with her nose.

“Hey, baby! You good?” Jack couldn’t help but laugh at the hilarious sight in front of him, but nonetheless, the hero went over to the scene to help out his damsel.

“Me? I’m fine! Couldn’t be better. No, no, don’t help, I’ve got it under control!” Rhys laughed back – but it was a very embarrassed laugh – and he struggled against the constraints that his Golden Retriever puppy had on him, although she wasn’t putting up much of a fight to try and stop him from moving.

Quietly, as if Rhys would be happier if he thought he’d gotten himself out of his mess, Jack whistled at the dogs to come towards him. As usual with Rhys, Orthrus and Cerberus paid Jack only a glance behind them, but Butterball’s ears picked up the sound, and she ran straight towards him, tugging the twirled leash Rhys had been caught in, sending Rhys flying after the puppy as she ran at Jack.

Naturally, Jack caught Rhys before he could fall.

“Hello, sexy.” Rhys whispered in the most seductive voice he could muster, but his smirk dropped as Jack started laughing again, not even attempting to hide how hysterical this was to him. “What?! I-is there something in my teeth?”

“No, no, I just…” Jack breathed, quietening down when the bewildered look on his boyfriend’s face didn’t seem to fade. “That’s gotta be the best thing that’s ever come out of your mouth.”

“I tried to be flirty. It failed.” Rhys said in a huff, but Jack chuckled again and reached for the younger man’s hand, running his thumb over Rhys’ smaller knuckles lovingly. By this point, of course, Butterball’s attention span had run out and she’d already nudged off her collar with her paw, backing up out of it to leave an empty leash in Rhys’ spare hand.

The thought that they should be walking their dogs at that moment in time instead of holding hands in the middle of a park only occurred to Jack when he heard a growl, and looked up to see his Dobermans standing over something small.

“God! Cerberus, Orthrus, what did we _just_ talk about?!”

“What?” Rhys asked blankly, shaking his head as if he’d just woken up, looking over his shoulder to the focus of Jack’s grimace.

“They’re with your puppy!”

Rhys’ expression twisted into even more confusion, and his head tilted downwards to his empty leash, and back over to Cerberus and Orthrus. He dropped Jack’s hand in favour of walking over to the three dogs at the lakeside, and nearly screamed at the adorable sight laid out before him.

“What’s wrong, Rhysie?” Jack cautioned, marching his way over to Rhys and their dogs too. The older man felt a vein pop as Rhys put on his baby-voice and started talking to his Dobermans like they were lapdogs. _God_ , their tails were wagging and everything – it was pitiful!

“Jack, they’re cuddling!” Rhys gushed, petting all three of the snuggly pooches on their heads and rubbing their bellies as they rolled around on the grass together. “C’mere, take a picture!”

Jack crossed his arms defensively, and made no attempt to reach for his phone. Rhys found amusement in his childish act and smirked, firing something sarcastic to get under Jack’s skin.

“Your natural born killers are total softies, handsome.”

Jack shot Rhys a squint and a look of defiance. “Let’s just start walking, shall we?”

“Don’t get mad that they’re only tough on the outside.” Rhys persisted, triumphant that Jack was royally pissed off.

“They’re _not_ only tough on the outside.” The older man said through gritted teeth – and to add insult to injury, Cerberus sniffed a daisy and sneezed.

“Oh, come on, they’re just like you.” Rhys reasoned, standing up from his knelt position and wiping the grass off his knees, walking over to Jack to hold his hand again. “They’ve got a soft spot for cuties.”

Rhys leant forwards and connected his nose to Jack’s, crinkling his nose up before kissing Jack’s upper lip. When Rhys pulled away, Jack was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Did you just compliment yourself?” The CEO asked, and Rhys leaned in for another kiss, smiling as he did so.

“Totally.” Rhys grinned as their noses bumped together again. Their lips connected for a fleeting moment – chaste and loving and soft, and Rhys was positively glowing by the time he leant back.

“Dork.” Jack teased, before whistling again. The pups’ heads shot upwards again. “Right, it takes about fifteen minutes to get around the park once.”

Jack lifted up his elbow for Rhys to take. “Shall we?”

//

Although it was a beautiful day, the temperature had only risen as the day went on, and the sun had gotten brighter. Rhys had decided – much like Butterball – to call their stroll quits after the sun got a little too intense. On the pair’s second trail around the park, Butterball had given in and forced Jack to carry her, and Rhys would’ve done the same had they not stopped to take a seat and grab a drink from a nearby café. The younger man sat with his legs propped up on two chairs as he fanned himself with a napkin, complaining insistently about how he’s bound to burn after being out in the sun without any sunscreen, but Jack couldn’t help but smile at the simplicity of it all.

Cerberus and Orthrus were currently sat below the café’s outdoor table, chugging down a gargantuan bowl of water one of the waitresses had given to them on the house, but Butterball refused to drink tap-water, and Jack had to order her a bottle instead; which she was currently lapping at from a saucer, settled on Jack’s lap. Rhys was moping about because of the heat, but Jack was gentlemanly enough to lend Rhys his sunglasses.

“Jack?” Rhys whined, still fanning himself, sipping noisily at his strawberry smoothie.

“Yes, baby?”

“My legs are on fire.” He complained, throwing his arms over the chair to brush against Orthrus, who happily accepted the accidental pet. “Remind me to shave my legs next time we come on a walk.”

“You shave your legs?”

Rhys lowered his sunglasses and looked at Jack as if it were the stupidest question he’d ever heard. “Duh.”

Jack chuckled, looking down at Butterball and shifting a little under the tiny mass of weight as she pouted at him until he poured out more water into her saucer.

“We should get you two inside. I don’t think you handle the heat well.” Jack mused, and Rhys made an appreciative sound of agreement. “You gonna come back to my place?”

“God, yes.” Rhys begged, dramatically pulling his legs from the spare chair beside him and sitting up. “Your fancy apartment has killer A/C.”

“I’ll let you borrow one of my big t-shirts so you can have your legs out. Just because I’m nice like that.”

Rhys drank the rest of his smoothie before putting the cup down to reach for Jack’s hand underneath the table and grasp it in his own. “Honestly, you’re like super-boyfriend sometimes, Jack.”

“Sometimes?” The older man questioned, motioning with his eyes to the bottled water.

“All the time.” Rhys assured, leaning over the table with his elbow. “I love you.”

Jack sighed, breathing out through his nose calmly, feeling completely relaxed in Rhys’ presence. He looked down to Cerberus and Orthrus, who were play-fighting with each other and basking in the sun, and then down to the puppy in his lap, who was turning her nose up at the fact that Jack had moved his position.

They were an odd little family, but they were Jack’s.

“I love you back.”

**Author's Note:**

> ❤thank you so much for reading~!!❤ be sure to check out the other part of this AU on http://archiveofourown.org/works/6287461 if you enjoyed this one!!
> 
> See y'all later, hope you have a fabulous day! (•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑
> 
> you can find me on tumblr @supermagically btw!


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